On Friday, the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club awarded $46,000 in 2026 community grants to 20 organizations.

The funds will go toward serving children, families, students, seniors, people with disabilities, and residents facing food, housing, health and safety challenges.

“This is probably my favorite day of the year,” said Lindsey Morgan, grants co-chair of the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club to about 100 people at the Hagadone Event Center.

The club received 33 applications requesting a combined $199,313 in grant support for projects with total budgets of about $1.6 million. 

The 2026 grant cycle reflected the club’s focus on basic education and literacy while also supporting projects addressing hunger, youth enrichment, health and safety, disability services, housing stability, arts access and other local needs, a press release said.

“This year’s applications showed the depth of service work happening across Kootenai County, along with great need within our community,” Morgan said.

The 2026 recipients and projects included:

$1,000 grants: Timberlake Chess Club; Safety Net Inland Northwest; and 208 Recovery North.

$1,500 grants: Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre; Arts and Culture Alliance; Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities; Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra; and Tesh, Inc.

$2,000 grants: Safe Passage; Specialized Needs Recreation; Growing the STEM; Museum of North Idaho; Lutherhaven Ministries; and First Presbyterian Neighborhood Closet.

$2,500 grant: Safe Start

$3,000 grant: The Salvation Army Kroc Center

$4,000 grants: EXCEL Foundation; Boys and Girls Clubs of Kootenai County; and Coeur d’Alene Sunrise Rotary Club.

The largest grant, $5,000, went to the Coeur d’Alene Backpack Program.

In a drawing, the Museum of North Idaho received $1,000.

“The club had to make difficult choices, but these awards will help trusted local organizations deliver practical, immediate benefits to people in our community,” Morgan said.

Britt Thurman, MONI executive director, said the funds will go toward the museum’s junior historian summer camp. She said it was wonderful to have such support from the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club.

“They understand the importance of kids learning about the area they grew up in, the history and what it means to be a North Idahoan, and to do it in a fun, exciting way,” she said.

The grants also support projects that include sending food home with children, expanding summer learning and youth arts opportunities, providing water safety instruction and supporting teen violence prevention. 

“These grants are a practical expression of service above self,” Morgan said. “We look forward to seeing the impact of these projects in the years ahead, and we welcome you to come back and show us these dollars in action.”